The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-12-10
Our Boundary Question.
WILSON'S MILLS, Nov. %. IS

1AoON MILLS NOV. ~, 1881.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN-Dedr Sir
In your last weeks issue there was
an article from the Cumberland Times
correspondent, which indicates a sur
prising view of the Boundary ques-
ton on our Western border, and a
view that will not be shared by very
many of the fairminded citizens of
Garrett county.
After citing certain acts relative to
the boundary question, the CORE
spondent whose article you copy,
goes on to say: "But West Virginia
took no notice of the matter until
last May. when her Legislature pas
sed an act, which in substance, pro-
vides that West Virginia will &C.
knowledge the new line if Maryland
will concede the validity of the Vir-
GINA titles to the land between the
two lines, and thereby throw her
own citizens out of their homes, and
rob them of their property, which
they have paid for in the sweat of
their brow"
Now this is certainly remarkable
declaration,and, if it means anything,
1t seems to say that the ACQUISITION
of this strip of territory, with its
farms and land, and property and
citizens, will rob the citizens of Gar
rett county of their homes. If this
must be the effect of our acquisition,
perhaps We could persuade West Vir-
ginia to keep it, as nobody wants to
see the citizens of Garrett county
robbed.
Or what robbery would it be to let
the owners Of this property under
Virginia titles, come into our county
and pay their taxes here, and become
a part of us. We certainly cannot
contemplate the contiscation of this
property because it was acquired I'M
der Virginia patents.
Let us examine the facts.
About one hundred years ago the
State of Maryland sent out sur
veyor, Frances M. Deakins, who run
and located the old line from Fairfax
Stone to the Pennsylvania line. All
the lands on the East of this line
were awarded the old soldiers of the
Maryland line, or were entered as
vacant land belonging to the State of
Maryland while the lands Westward
of the line were under warrants from
the State of Virginia. These lands
have been held in undisputed posses.
sion for hundred years. Now, after
the lapse of all this time, it is pro.
posed to run new line, which varies
Southwest from the old line, and
gives Maryland strip of territory
which formerly belonged to Virginia.
The owners of these lands came by
them honestly, as a rule, and paid for
them ain the sweat of their brows,"
and here by implication at least, the
monstrous proposition is announced
to rob these people of their property,
and to bestoW it on whoever may be
the most successful land grabbers of
Garrett county,
The correspondent says the "cor-
rect" line was always a due North
line from the Fairfax Stone, but it
has been always declared by high
legal authority, that the old line is
the only legal line until the new line
shall have been ratified by the Leg
islatures of Maryland and West Vir-
ginia, and also by the Congress of the
United States.
Maryland as yet can make no title
to this land because she has no title
herself.
The humane, honorable, and just
way to treat the citizens coming into
our county, would be to welcome
them as friends and helpers, and not
to confiscate their property and drive
them away and confer it on those
who did not get it by the sweat of
their brow.
At the close of the French and
Russian war the Germans did not
confiscate the property of the con-
quered provinces and drive the people
away, but the people simply changed
their allegiance from France and be-
came citizens of the German Empire
But this is not conquest, it involves
simply the correction of a line, and
there should be no robbing on either
side.
Let these people pay their taxes
here and become citizens. and let
them be protected in their persons
and their property, which is but fair
and right.
Because West Virginia would pro-
tect her citizens in what is clearly
and manifestly right, there is no
sense in raising great hue and cry
and say it is robbing the citizens of
N ~ I,.x u AL L L.